“Most top-down directives lack entertainment value,” said Kim Seon-tae, an entry-level civil servant who resigned at a mid-level post and built a YouTube following of 1.67 million subscribers as of May 27. Known online as “Chungju Man,” his signature move involves filming videos while leaning far back in his chair with his feet resting on his desk. In his 2024 book “God of Publicity,” Kim detailed his early video production failures at Chungju City Hall. Pressured by North Chungcheong Province to promote a local martial arts festival, he reluctantly produced a video following standard bureaucratic protocols, and the views plummeted. Operating in a civil service organization known for strict top-down compliance, Kim refused to be a “yes-man”. He filmed with government ministers and celebrities, but he refused to upload the footage. ‘It lacked a YouTube-ready hook’ Kim’s reason was simple. He withheld the content because he deemed it unfunny. It is highly unusual even for news organizations to scrap interviews with central government ministers. Scrapping such footage demonstrated Kim’s core
